CALGARY — As the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) approaches, senior staff with the Pembina Institute will be available for comment on where Canada stands on its climate commitments. Executive Director, Chris Severson-Baker, will be attending the event in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt and available for comment November 7 to 18. Electricity Program Director Binnu Jeyakumar will also be in attendance and available for comment on a national net-zero electricity grid and the phase out of coal-fired electricity.
The summit is taking place amidst a severe global energy crisis and in the wake of the just released report from the International Energy Agency noting that, for the first time ever, current policies will deliver a peak in global demand for fossil fuels within this decade. The crisis brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a driving force in the transition to a cleaner and more secure energy system.
To maintain accountability on climate action, a key priority at the upcoming climate summit is the need to move from pledges made at COP26 to implementation and clear evidence of swift action on climate. At the conference in Glasgow, Canada joined other countries in committing to the Global Methane Pledge; the federal government has additionally pledged to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector by at least 75% by 2030.
Additional commitments of note that have been made by Canada include:
- Drafting regulations to accelerate the phase-out of coal-fired power generation by 2030, investments to support a just transition for coal workers and communities, and joint efforts with the UK to move the world past coal through the Powering Past Coal Alliance.
- A commitment to cap oil and gas emissions at the pace and scale needed to achieve Canada’s 2030 target and get to net zero by 2050.
- A commitment to reduce the amount of carbon released by 40 per cent to 45 per cent economy-wide below 2005 levels by 2030.
Emissions in Canada have increased proportionately more than any other G7 nation since the signing of the Paris agreement in 2016. Between 1990 and 2020, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 13.1 per cent.
Canada’s climate commitments demonstrate progress that can lead us to a net-zero emissions economy provided that the necessary policies and regulations are put in place quickly and with sufficient strength to drive emissions to the levels required to achieve the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 C compared to pre-Industrial levels, as per the 2016 Paris Climate Accords.
From our offices in Canada, senior experts with the Pembina Institute will be monitoring the conference closely and also available for comment:
- Jan Gorski, Program Director, Oil and Gas (for comment on Canada’s oil and gas sector – methane emissions and the emissions cap for oil and gas – and carbon pricing)
- Tom-Pierre Frappé-Sénéclauze Program Director, Buildings (for comment on the buildings sector)
- Carolyn Kim, Senior Director, Communities and Decarbonization Group (for comment on gender equity in the energy sector)
- Adam Thorn, Program Director, Transportation (for comment on the transportation sector)
- Nagwan Al-Guneid, Program Director, Business Renewables Centre-Canada (for comment on the corporate procurement of renewable electricity)
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For media enquiries, contact
Victoria Foote
Director, Communications, Pembina Institute
647-290-9384
Background
Report: Waiting to Launch: The gap between Canadian oilsands companies’ climate pledges and actions
Submission: Options to cap and cut oil and gas sector greenhouse gas emissions
Report: Equitable Net-Zero: Recommendations for advancing gender equity in Alberta’s shift to net-zero
Submission: Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emissions Vehicles Program
Report: Canada’s Renovation Wave: A plan for jobs and climate
Report: Achieving a net-zero Canadian electricity grid by 2035: Principles, benefits, pathways